South Plantation Boys Basketball

Student Athletes

2013-04-07T13:53:00.003-07:00

From left to right - Kenny Boynton, Florida • Chris Uz - Barry U, William Jewel • Arsenio Avant - NSU, Elms College

STUDENT ATHLETES

There are a few things each of the athletes above have in common - all three played in Broward County, all three played point guard, all three were team captains, all three played for me, and all three graduated high school with a GPA above a 3.5.

I have been coaching in Broward County since 1998, and in that short time many things have changed in high school sports. Without question the number of kids transferring to different high schools has grown and it can also be argued that travel sports influences where these kids go. However, the one thing that has remained consistent is academics and athletics go hand in hand and that will never change.

At South I have an academic rule and its a simple one - if a players grades have gone down or they are not in good standing with School Board Policy it will affect your playing time or spot on the team. Most of my players in the past have understood this rule and have become better for it. Every now and then, there's a player that has a difficult time understanding this rule and has trouble finding the floor and/or staying on the team. This past year was unlike any other.

A good part of my players really struggled to "do the right thing" and forgot that academics and school comes first. This really hurt the program in terms of wins and losses, but in the long run it will hurt those players even more. I really believe that as a whole my best basketball players have also been players that did well in school. I think that the correlation comes from players that are both responsible and work hard will do so in any capacity. I'm not saying that a successful team is made up of a bunch of choir boys, but its crucial that players on a team care enough to do what is necessary for them and the betterment of the team. If that means keeping their grades up, being on time for class, or being able to manage time to complete homework and attend basketball activities. They do it because that is what's necessary.

Playing on a team is a privilege not a right. This past season, we had 26 players combined on the jv and varsity teams and we have over 2300 students. That means just about 1% of the students at our school gets the opportunity to play in our program. Regardless of anything else you need to be elite to play at South. With that being said, our players need to hold themselves in high regard and always be the best they can be. Kenny, Chris and Arsenio all knew what it meant to be part of a team and to be their best. Because of that they all reached their goal of playing at the collegiate level. If my players take on the same attitude as those three, I am convinced our program will be elite.

So this off-season, what I want to focus on is getting our players to understand that opportunities will be there to those that will be their best in the classroom and on the court. That includes the opportunity to play at South.

Run Backwards

2012-08-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Most of our conditioning at South consists of the normal, everyday routine exercises i.e. suicides, 17's, lunges. However, this off-season I've done more research and consulted with professional athletic trainers for exercises that focus more on core and lower body strength. The other day, I took my players to the track to complete what I call the "Arsenio," which is a 800 meter running forward then a 400 meter run going backwards. Doesn't sound like a lot, but its can be very grueling. The first 400 meters is not bad even the second 400 is manageable. However, its the run backwards that hurts. Running backwards strengthens opposing muscle groups that you normally work on while moving forward. It strengthens calves, quads, shins, and helps create balance. Besides running backwards we've done wall jumps, bear crawls, crab walks, dips, push ups, wheelbarrows, squats, squat jumps, jump tucks, farmer carries, base line lunges, push mans, theres more I just cant remember right now. We are still about 4 months away from the beginning of our season, and Im confident this will be the best conditioned team I've had.

South Trivia: Name three South players from last years team that played on three different varsity sports. Name the players and the sports they participated in. First non-player to email me the right answer wins a prize.

Lunch With Durelle

2012-08-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Durelle sends me a text that he is leaving for NY in a week, so I invited him out for a "good-bye" lunch. In the first few minutes after we sit, he shares with me how excited he is to be moving on to the next part of his life. Not only is he looking forward to what the college life will bring him, but Durelle is anticipating even more the time he will get to spend with his family in NY.
Just recently all of his family from NY was down here due to an unfortunate event. Even though they were not here on the best of situations they were able to come together and forge a stronger family bond. It also gave Durelle an opportunity to talk to the NY part of the family he rarely see but will be his closest support for the next two years.

After swapping pictures on our iPhones, his with family pics and mine of my recent trip to Alaska with my wife, its time to order our lunch. He orders a rack of ribs with double fries and I order a Mahi sandwich with asparagus. The only reason I include what we ate is because Durelle has the metabolism to eat a mountain of ribs and fries and burn it off in 2 hours while me, at age 37, I have to stick to fish and veggies or I get an instant gut.

Even with all of the catching up of our Summer experiences the majority of our conversation focuses on the past, and the good times we had this year. One might think how many memories can you have in one year, but for Durelle and I we have plenty.

Besides the many normal experiences we had with basketball our journeys go beyond the court. Durelle was a student in my 6th hour Honors Government class, we had frequent McDonalds and coffee breakfast meetings, and we both participated in the Knights and Squires competition where we placed a controversial 2nd. If you ask all of the people that attended the event, they would tell you we should have gotten first. For Durelle and I it was a great experience no matter the outcome.

With the end of our lunch near, Durelle asks our waitress to take a pic of us. He's been really into this app called Intagram which is an app that allows people to follow you and view pictures you take on your phone. Durelle is quick to tell me he stopped following me on Instagram because of my lack of posting pics, but I just blame it on my wanting to be private. Well, Durelle posted our pic and thats what you see in this BLOG my guess is that he used the Toaster filter.

Good-bye Durelle and good luck and make sure you start following me on Instagram again.

Big Hen & Durelle

2012-08-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

Henry Brand & Durelle Bailey

Good Luck to Durelle and Henry as they leave this week to start their college careers. Durelle will be attending Hostos College in Bronx NY where he will be playing basketball for the school and studying business. Durelle only played one year at South but made a huge impact on the school and team in a short time. What I will miss most about Durelle is his ability to make the best out of any situation. When times were tough, thats when Durelle pushed even harder.

Henry Brand aka "Big Henry" will be attending Easter Maine Community College. He is also playing basketball for the school and wants to major in Nutrition. Henry's road that led him to this point was a tough one, with many hard lessons. However, with experience and maturity Henry was able to focus on his priorities and had a stand out senior year. Henry was a standout athlete on Football as well as basketball and still hopes to play college football after community college. What I will miss most about Henry was his loyalty to me and the team. He never once wavered from what his responsibilities and duties were on the team. For that I will always be loyal to him.

One thing is for sure when it comes to Durelle and Henry, they will both be greatly missed and can never be replaced.

Lynn Team Camp

2012-06-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

This year South Plantation participated in the Lynn University basketball team camp. This was the second year in a row that South attended this team camp. We like it because we play against teams we will usually never see, and it give the players a chance to play together in the off-season.

We finished this year 4-3, but only lost to two teams. We played Westminster Academy in pool play, and met up with them in the Semi-Finals of the tournament. The three games we lost were all by close margins while our wins were by an average of 18 points. Despite having only one day of preparation with all of the players, we played pretty well together. Our defense caused a lot of problems for opposing teams creating many steals, deflections and easy buckets for our guys. Although we need some work with positioning and keeping out hands up, I like what I have to work with.

Our offense was not our strong point at Lynn. We have a tough time running anything and made some poor shot selections. We also have no identity on offense while on defense we already know we are going to be a run and jump team. I'd like for our players to know how to space the floor better, this would help us identify when to attack and give us better opportunities to look for our shooters.

Now that Summer is here, its time to go to work on fundamentals. My goal is to get every player better, faster, and build unity between our players.

The Past Two Months

2012-05-11T09:25:00.001-07:00

The past two months have been eventful for South Basketball. Aside from our regular off season conditioning our players have played in and ran travel tournaments, had our off season banquet, participated in Western High's Spring League, and said good-bye to one of our coaches.
Travel Ball - we hosted two USSSA tournaments in our gym this off-season for fund raising purposes. In two days, we squeeze in over 20 teams and have about 15 games played in our gym. These are long weekends, especially when the gym AC is turned off because of budget cuts Broward County Schools controls when it goes on and off. The kids seems to not mind it so much but almost every parent that comes in and says "is the AC off?" or " it's hot in here, can you do something?" I just SMH and explain the whole thing over and over. Outside of it being hot the kids do a great job running the scores table and door. Coach Derek, Coach Steve, and Coach Remy help out as well. Without them these weekends would be impossible.
We played in a couple travel tournaments as well. Let's just say some of the up and coming guys have talent, but really need to understand the game.
Annual Banquet - Our team banquet was on April 28, and was a huge a success this year. Again, we used the Magnet Theater at our school and had it catered by a soul food restaurant. Food was great, players looked great, and the evening went as smooth as can be. I would like to mention a few people that helped and made the night a special evening: Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Dr. Culpepper, Zeno, Nandi, all the coaches and my wife Ingrid. Without your help the banquet could not have been half as good. I'll be putting the 2011-2012 Season video on the team website soon.
Spring League at Western High - Last night was the first look at South Plantation basketball without kids like Delan, Henry, and Dom. It was a little weird not seeing any of those guys on the floor, but at the same time I've been through this every year now for the past 14 years. Old players move on and new players come in. We played Piper and lost by 2 in over time. The last two Piper/South games have gone into overtime and have ended with us on the losing end. Yesterday was just a spring league game, but you still want to see our team on the winning end of an overtime game whether it's Piper or anyone else. From what I saw last night is my team is going to be tough. We didn't play well defensively or offensively, but I saw flashes of a team that can be really good. A couple players that stood out was Justin and Ed. Justin had 7 blocks and 9 rebounds and Ed was the most efficient player scoring 15 with 4 steals, 3 deflections and only one turnover he also got to the line more than anyone else. We play western on Thursday, so let's see who steps up.
Coach Trez - For two seasons Coach Trez has been on the South bench helping coach our players be the best they can be. He also was a huge help to me in getting this program on the right track when i took over. A few weeks ago, Coach Trez was offered and accepted the head coaching position at West Broward High School. I couldn't be more happy for coach Trez, I know he'll do a great job over there. I will definitely miss him next season.
It's been a while since I've posted on this blog. I know I've said this before but I'm going to try and update this at least once a week.
To see who has read this entry, I will give the first person to answer the next question and get it right a prize.
Question: Can you Name all the senior players on the team? Send me the answer via email for a prize.
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Season is over, but the Future is Bright

2012-02-22T19:14:00.001-08:00

Losing a game that could have been won is hard. Losing a game in the playoffs, in overtime, and by just 3 points is devastating. Final game of the season Piper 66 South 63.

We were the 6th seed and they were the 2nd seed, but by the way this game was played it looked like to heavy weights going toe to toe. We were down most of the first half, but midway through the third we started making our run.

During the middle of the 3rd and fourth quarter, it seemed as if we were in control especially with Piper not being able to score. We made some key stops, and got some huge 3 point baskets by Ed Danis. However, we couldn't stop the refs whistles from blowing in Pipers favor.

In the 4th quarter Piper scored all of their points from the free throw line. No points from the floor! Seemed like no matter how we played Piper defensively we were called for fouls. I won't put all the blame on the fouls we should have closed it out by getting to the free throw line, but we made some poor decisions with the ball down the stretch.

Despite the tough loss, I am extremely proud of how much better we got throughout the season. I don't think any other team in Broward County made a bigger improvement than we did and that's a credit to our teams ability to stay the course. This is why I am confident about our future at South.

We have a great group of players returning next season. They are the most well rounded group I have had in a long time. Not only are they very athletic, but they are very hard working and good students in the classroom. I believe if I have a group of players that can excel both on the court and in the classroom those are players that can form a great team.

I've also had the opportunity to meet some of the future students of 2016, and from what I have seen so far I think they're going to be a special group. The incoming freshman are very talented players and are good students as well.

Now, the next step is having a productive off-season booked with countless hours of skill work. All great programs have off-seasons that concentrate on getting their players better by working on their weaknesses. More importantly being able to get plenty of Spring, Summer, and Fall league games to have that game experience we lacked this year.

For those that are following South on our website and twitter I thank you. For those that haven't kept tabs, you need to start following us. South Plantation is going to do big things next season.

Till next time,
Coach Marino

Trivia: Where did Coach Remy go to high school, and who was one if his high school coaches?

First person to email me the answer gets a prize.

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District Playoff Game

2012-02-09T19:43:00.001-08:00

I have not posted a new Blog in 4 months, and I promised myself I would do one at least once a week. I also promised myself I would keep running at least 3 times a week. I guess I need to work on fulfilling my promises to myself.

The season has been long and draining at times, but we're now in the home stretch, just a couple more weeks if all goes well.

This past Tuesday, we beat Douglas High School 64-59 which is 33 point swing from the first time we played them where we lost 82-53. That first game happened back on Dec. 16, almost 2 months ago. Since that time, my team has bonded and worked really hard at getting better.

I have definitely enjoyed the last two weeks of practice, especially because it seems like the players have been pushing themselves instead of me or the other coaches pushing them. One of our quotes in practice was "The push from behind is not the as meaningful as the drive from within." I believe the self motivation has been the difference that has given us recent success.

We have to play Piper tomorrow, and if we win we not only play in the district championship on Saturday, but it also guarantees us a spot in the Regional Playoffs. I can't predict the future, but from our recent wins and hard work in practice I really like our chances to win.

I'm done for now, but I PROMISE to write my thoughts on whatever the outcome. As a bonus the first parent to email me what our school colors are will win a team t-shirt. Email your answer to coach@paladinbasketball.com

Coach Marino

Location:South Plantation Gym

Less Than One Week Away

2011-10-25T04:27:00.000-07:00

Almost time for basketball tryouts. Hope all that are trying out have been working on their game the past two weeks. This is going to be one of the most competitive tryouts I've had in the last 10 years.

With losing 9 seniors from last years team of 14, there are plenty of spots open for the taking. Just so it is clear I am looking for players that will can not only help a team win, but also is the right fit. I know that is very vague, but when a coach picks a team they look for different things.

Sometimes it may be a player that has no fear or doesnt get nervous in pressure situations.Other times coaches look for an underdog type player that is willing to do anything for the team, a guy that does the grunt work but never expects accolades or their name in the paper.

Without any question this years tryouts are going to be tough, but I am eagerly waiting to get this thing rolling.

Pick Your Friends Wisely

2011-10-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

Today an unfortunate event happened to a kid that was working to be on the team this year. I don't want to go into too much detail as to who the kid is or what happened. I just want to mention that this kid had an opportunity to make his senior year his best year, but decided to do something that got him suspended.

This kid had been warned that the choices he was making were not good for him, and they would catch up with him sooner or later. He knew he had a golden opportunity being at South and had a great shot of making the basketball team if only he stayed on the right track.

As it turned out he never fully trusted the people that cared about him most. He decided to be around the people that don't want to do the right thing. In doing that he found himself suspended from school and with no chance of being on the basketball team.

He is not the first person to waste a chance to become better and he certainly won't be the last. The lesson here is that if you are in high school, you DONT know everything, you are not indestructible, and there are consequences to your actions.

Besides trying to be a basketball coach sometimes I find myself being a life coach.

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24 Points 29 Turn overs

2011-10-05T03:25:00.000-07:00

No team will win when they have more turnovers than points. I repeat, no team will ever win with more turnovers than points. Why have we had so many turnovers? Its a combination of many things, but what stands out the most is we are just not experienced, and that's because we didn't do as much as we should have this off-season.

The off-season is to get better, and many of the players at South chose not to do that this off-season. With the exception of three players, every other person missed out on a large chunk of the off-season or showed up sporadically for whatever reason. This is being said, we have much work to do before Nov. 18, which is when we play our first game.

I will say that we do have some upside. I think this group is getting better and will come around. Im not just saying that because Im the coach, but I truly believe this group has the talent to win. When that happens will be around the same time we start to value possessions.

Today We Got Better

2011-10-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

Moving fast was the theme today. Everything was done with speed and efficiency. We started the day running baseline to baseline in under 10 seconds, most made it and some struggled.

We did some more full court running drills where all except for two were gassed after 5 min. I don't want to call out the players that were sucking wind but I will mention the few that pushed hard. John McFadden, Delan Sinclair, and Kamal Jones all three of them ran their butts off and kept going.

After 2 1/2 hours of working and running, we went out to the track to finish with a mile run. Did I mention it was about 90 degrees out side.

I'm sure that everyone that showed up today, either took a nap when they got home or will be out before 9:30 tonight.

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Gatorade

2011-09-29T19:18:00.001-07:00

The first player to tell me they read my Blog will get a Gatorade of their choice. They must also tell me where I first started coaching.

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Work Smarter & Playing Catch Up

2011-09-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

In the last 6 off season games we are 1-5. There are many reasons for this record, but the one that stands out the most is that we have turned-over the ball on average of 18 times a game.

Yes, we have youth and inexperience, but 18 turnovers a game is inexcusable. Taking care of the ball, making good passes, taking high percentage shots, scoring in transition, identifying defenses, etc. These are all things we need to get better at so we can start having some success in these games. If we can cut the turnovers down by half, I believe the outcome would be in our favor.

Most players don't know how important an off-season is. Aside from travel ball and meeting at the park to play, most players do nothing else. Simply put, park play and travel are not enough. Players need hard core gym time!

The off-season is so you can work on the things you are weakest at. It could be ball handling, shooting, or it could even be working out so you can get in better physical shape. Most of the bball players at South, aside for a few, haven't done as much as they should have this off-season and it has shown in these games. Its like they are four months behind in work, and now they have to play catch up. It's not easy and overwhelming at times.

There is a silver lining in all of this. There is more athleticism with this group than any other group I have ever coached. I also have a few young guys that show much promise. In a few years, I'm sure colleges everywhere will be sending them letters.

With that being said, I know that if my players keep working hard and working smart, the future will look 100% better than the past or present.

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Fast, Relentless, and Inexperienced

2011-09-21T19:04:00.001-07:00

Our first game went much the same as our games this past weekend, except we didn't score as much. Today we lost to BA 56-37. We hustled only half the time, took some weak floaters, and turned the ball over. On top of that, we are still foggy on how we need to play defense.

The only good news is all of these things are correctable and we have 57 days before our first game to fix them. After reviewing the film of the game, I saw a few flashes of greatness among a mix of awfulness. This style of play is tough, but once It gets going It will be very tough to beat.

Next Monday we play the defending state champs Sagemont, and the week after that we play defending district champs Cypress Bay and Dwyer. Win, lose or draw this is great competition for the team and will definitely get us ready for the season.

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Location:Davie PAL

Back 2 School Tourney

2011-09-18T08:44:00.001-07:00

We went 1-3 and gave up way too many points. I always like to take positives away from losses, and this weekend is no difference.

What I like about this team is that they are extremely fast. The can run the floor and get to spots quickly. I know we'll be able to be really effective against teams that like to slow it up.

I also like the fact that we have the ability to score. With the exception of the game vs heritage which we were horrible on the offensive side. We averaged just under 70 points a game. What needs to change is our rotation and movement on the ball and protecting the paint. We also need to concentrate on boxing out. We still think we can out jump teams.

If we work on fixing those things, I think we can start winning more games. When more games are won, the players tend to have more fun.

By the way, I would love to know who is reading these blogs. So the first South student, player, or parent to tell me what the final score of the Gator vs Tennessee game was will win a South ball t-shirt.

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Location:Broward

30 minutes

2011-09-06T19:05:00.001-07:00

Conditioning for just 30 minutes and I still a had a few kids struggling to get through all the running. I realize its only the first two weeks but I have to wonder what these guys eat everyday that they have no energy after 10 minutes.

I'm thinking most eat junk food or don't eat much at all. Best thing for them to do is eat a good breakfast, eat healthy snacks throughout the day and stay hydrated.
"If you want to be a winner you have to fuel like a winner!" Dwight K Schrute

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Location:South Gym

Slipping and Sliding

2011-09-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today we had another slip-sliding conditioning session. Seems like Broward County is not cranking on the AC during the weekends to save a little money. So 30 minutes into conditioning, the boys are drenched in sweat. I don't really mind it much, but there is about 17 guys that wished it was a little cooler in that gym.

With every person dripping with sweat and in pain from all of the running, it looks like we're no where close to mid-season form. If we are going to be a pressure team, then these guys need to be able to run up and down the floor for 48 minutes. We're two weeks away from our first Fall League game, so we got much work to do.

Location:South Plant Gym

South vs Nova football game

2011-09-02T18:52:00.001-07:00

Spent a few hours at the first South Plantation home game of the season, and it was packed! There were plenty of parents, teachers, alumni, and a huge section of students.

I have plenty of football players in my class: Manny Abad, Hugs, Cory steel, Richard Darius, Zavier, and I could probably list 10 more. They all told me that not only would they win, but they would score at least 40. Nice to see they came through on their word. Final score South 42, Nova 21. Congrats to them for starting the season well.

I'd love to know who's reading. The first person to tweet me the word #southplantation will get a shout out on my next blog. Enjoy a few pics from the game below.

Coach M

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Location:South Plantation Stadium

First Conditioning

2011-08-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

They ran, and ran some more. When we were done with one thing, they ran to the next. What made it worse was that our gyms ACs weren't on, so the players were slipping and sliding all over the floor.

Midway though it seemed as if they had already had enough, they looked drained from going up and down the court. At one point, one of the players went to the garbage and had to put in what they ate for breakfast. By the end of conditioning, every player was so soaked from sweat it looked as if they had just gone swimming in a pool.

The hustle was definitely there i just hope they start communicating more. I'm curious to see who will read this. So the first person to tell me what school I first started coaching for will get a prize. Send the answer by email or you can tweet it to me.

Coach M

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It's Been Too Long

2011-08-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

It has been about 9 months since I last posted a message on this blog. It's not so easy to sit and put my thoughts on a screen especially during the season. I know I haven't put anything up during the off season as well, so there really is no excuse.

My promise to the few that check on this blog, is to be more dedicated to posting my thoughts. After workouts, games, practices, etc. I will do my best to put something up every few days. Even if I have to get only 3 hours of sleep, I will make sure that something fresh will be posted.

Coach M

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Solid Start

2010-12-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, so its been a long while since I've written on this blog. Between coaching, the Tip-Off, Thanksgiving, teaching, and spending time with the wife to say my time is limited is a huge understatement.

In a nut shell, practices have been good, bad and ugly depending on the day, and the players overall work in the classroom could be better. I have had to sit out a few good players because they haven't quite organized their time to keep up their grades and attend two-hour practices.

Recently, most of the players have really been trying to do better in school. For example, I had two kids scrambling around trying to get with their teachers and turn in or re-do any work they needed to bring up their grades so they can play. In triumph both were able to bring their grades up in each of their classes they were struggling in.

All of the players on the team are eligible to play, but I make sure that their grades do not slip during the season. If grades slip, it affects their playing time on the court. I know for some players this is extremely tough. However, I am a big believer that players should learn how to keep their priorities straight and make school just as important as basketball. I know that if every player on the team dedicated two hours a day to studying, they would NEVER fall below a C.

We dont play again until December 6, so Im sure the ones that have poor grades will bring them up by game time.

We are 2-0 right now, and it would be great to have every player on the team ready to go next week.

The Ticket Room

2010-10-29T04:54:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things a program has to have is pride in their home. How you show pride is with the little things. Picking up a wrapper off the gym floor, dust mopping before a shoot around, making sure doors are locked on the way out, taking care of equipment, and in some cases a little renovation.

Both the girls volleyball and boys basketball team participated in a Bob-Villa-Type task of giving the ticket booth a face lift. Home Depot donated over $150 worth of paint, flooring and other supplies, but we had to supply the elbow grease.

So in two Saturdays of work and one day after school, we gave the ticket room a much needed face lift. In a nut shell we painted it South Plant Purple, refinished the counter, added new outlet covers, laid down wood flooring and base boards, and patched up a few holes in the wall.

It was not an easy task by any measure, but with everyone's help it was done in good time and most importantly with pride. Thank you to the students that gave their time and hard work into making their home gym a better place. View pics of the renovation.

Work Hard - Work Smart -Work Together

2010-10-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's not always the most talented team that wins. Sure if you have a team of superstars, 99 out of 100 times they win. However, most teams dont have all superstars and the great majority of the teams have a very slim difference in talent levels. With that being said, on any given day any team can win a game. The difference maker is how hard you work, how smart you play, and if you are working together.

One of the goals I have for this team, which has some talent, is to make them the smartest team on the floor. Right now, their basketball IQ is low so I have my work cut out for me. Collectively this is a very smart group, but struggle with how to play the game from an intelligent perspective. Hopefully, this fall league will help us understand how to close games and how to make teams play our style.

Until we understand how to play the game, every game is going to be a struggle.

Pre-Season

2010-10-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about pre-season is that it's almost like the honeymoon phase. The players are all excited about the upcoming year, coaches are not so bothered having 12 hour days.

On top of that, no one is really sure if they will make the team, so they are going the extra mile to stand out from the rest. That includes keeping up grades and having a great attitude. Having gone through enough pre-seasons, I know that when we're in mid-season it will be a different story.

Players wont push hard some days. Coaches will get grouchy with only 3 hours of sleep. What really will be toughest is when teams start to lose focus. The daily grind of basketball will start wearing on a team, and if they forget what they are playing for things can get ugly fast.

So thats why I am doing things a little different at South. I want the culture of South Basketball to be one that's hardworking, dedicated, and knows when to work and when to play. And I want this to be the attitude of our players whether we are in season or not. I want anyone associated with South Basketball to consistently know that when you put in your time, you are improving yourself and everyone that is part of this family. The good of the few will help the good of the many.

Because this is my first year coaching the team, my priority this pre-season is getting the mindset changed. The best way to do this is by keeping them together as much as possible. Open gym, fundraisers, conditioning, off-season leagues, study hall, early morning shooting, exposure camps, meals, etc. Anything that brings players together gets them to understand that this is more than just a basketball team.

So far, I have no complaints. Its been going better than I expected.